The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-12-01
ATLANTA GOES WET"
Prohibition Gets a Black Eye After q
Triai OF Two Years.

NHcGB u ABAtACA > AIGCE a
Trial OF TWO Years.
ATLANTA, Nov. 2S.-After the most
heated contest ever recorded in the
state of Georgia, Atlanta, Saturday
voted against prohibition. The fight
has been especially bitter one. For
several months the citizens have been
engaged in the contest. Meetings have
been held almost every night, and
local speakers and foreign statesmen
have stumped the county from almost
every curb in the city and every cross
road in the country. Early in the cam
paign the prohibitionists leased the
largest ware house in the city and
fitted it up with seating capacity for
5000. Almost every night that build
ing has been filed and such scenes of
wild enthusiasm are rarely witnessed.
Almost every minister in the city
preached prohibition from his pulpit,
Sunday after Sunday. Both sides had
full campaign funds and managed
their respective causes for all they were
worth The negro vote was the bone
OF contention and was the balance of
power. Each side made the most
st enuous endeavors to Sc
cure it in every way
possible. The negroes were con-
siderablS divided on the subject. The
great majority of them voted with the
nti-prohibitiouists. One of the
features of the contest has been the
active part taken by many women of
the city. Several of the churches
organized committees from among
their female members who took an
active part in the campaign. They
organized the women of the cOlOred
churches into societies and met with
| them and prayed with them day after
day. The result of their work was
! shown Saturday by the appearance of
| large numbers of women at the polls
with blue badges. They served. hot
coffee and sandwiches at every polling
place and conducted prayer meetings
and singing crusades in the open air.
Fulton county, in which Atlanta is
located voted two years ago
on the same question and went
for prohibition by majority
of 228 out of about 5000 4yotes. The
registration this time exceeded that OF
last year by 1000 votes. The city has
gone wet by probably 1000 majority
Great enthusiasm prevails on the
| streets.
THE WET EDITORS REASON WHY.
NEW YORK, Nov. 29.-The wet
and the dry editors of the Atlanta
Constitution give their opinions to the
world on the subject of ''Why Atlanta
| Went Wet" Mr.. Ivan Howell, the
wet" editor, says: The prohibition
law had been tried for two years, and
it had proved failure. The prOhibi-
tionists claim that it did not have
ton for prohibition for years
has been the only bad
result have noted so far as it affects
| the city. There was certainly large
quantities of liquor brought into the
city every day from neighboring cities,
and the large majorities given for anti
| prohibition was not only protest
against the law, but against the strife
and bitterness engineering the first
campaign. 1 am certain that the con-
sentative men on both sides will come
| together and throw around the retail
| sale of liquor all necessary restraints.
| and that it will be better for the city.
The part the women took in the cleo
| ton at the polls has been greatly eX-
aggerated. Henry w. Grady, the
| dry" editor, says: The defeat OF
prohibition was not expected from the
first to the last. The negroes were al
was due to the influence of Yellow
stone Kit, rich and shrewd medicine
vender, worshiped by the negroes, who
spoke night after night at the ''anti'
meetings, carried on the shoulders OF
negro men. The part taken in the
campaign by the ladies was not signif-
| icant. Prohibition was not beaten
on its merit. The law was too severe
it being impossible to get even medical
or sacramental wine without violating
| it. Its administration had been often
unwise. Had it not been for these
things the undeniable good it worked
would have overcome the great negro
majority against it. Atlanta will moi
suffer seriously. The barroom-as il
existed, insoent' political, corrupting
and ruling, is thing of the past. a
conference will be held to devise plaI
upon which the people can unite. No
the slightest illfeeling survive!
the contest which was without
precedent in vigor and aggression
A city council is to be elected OF
December 9th. On fighting for that
the leaders of the two factions will
probably unite on ticket of the bes
men IN the city, and will seek to cleo
it by a compact of the conservative
element of both sides. The Constitution
which, by reason of the division o
opinion among the proprietors, took n
editorial position in the contest, viii
urge a union of the best elements O
both factions to control the situation